Results 7,421-7,440 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Priority Questions: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I have to believe Roche when it informed the former Minister for Defence that it was pulling out of Ireland for a commercial reason. I have been given no information or evidence to state otherwise. The choice of medication for overseas deployment, including the use of Lariam, is a medical decision made by medical officers in the Defence Forces. The best advice given to me is that Lariam is...

Priority Questions: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I am not a medical practitioner, but I accept the advice of the Defence Forces medical corps. The choice of medication for a mission is a medical decision based on best advice. I reiterate that the most comprehensive screening is carried out on every member of Defence Forces.

Priority Questions: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I am not hiding behind any evidence. I believe absolutely that the medical corps of the Defence Forces gave me the best evidence when I questioned it on this issue. It is not giving me false information. I refute one of the Deputy's comments. I have been informed by the Defence Forces that its members are individually screened prior to the administration of Lariam before they go on an...

Priority Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 31 July 2016, the latest date for which details are available, was 9,025,...

Priority Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I agree that the Irish Defence Forces do an absolutely outstanding job and I have been assured by the Chief of Staff that they have the capabilities to carry out any duty or mission that may be required of them. I refute the suggestion that the Government is not committed to bringing people into the Irish Defence Forces. I attended the induction of Army cadets yesterday in the Curragh and,...

Priority Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy mentioned family-friendly policies and we have been very active in bringing family-friendly policies to the fore. The fact that male or female participants may spend three months on missions abroad and have an exchange with somebody for the following three months is a welcome addition. I have asked the general officer commanding in each of the brigades if enlisted personnel...

Priority Questions: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: Under the terms of the Defence (Amendment) Act 1990, the Defence Forces representative associations are prohibited from being associated with or affiliated to any trade unions or any other body without the consent of the Minister. Accordingly, the representative association PDFORRA cannot be affiliated to ICTU at present. The basis for the prohibition is that it would be inappropriate to...

Priority Questions: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: PDFORRA has requested on a number of occasions, in 2002, 2009, 2012 and 2014, to become either affiliated to, or to take up associate membership of, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. These requests raise significant challenges from a governmental and societal perspective, including the risk of subverting the military chain of command requiring consideration. Appropriate systems have been...

Priority Questions: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: To compensate for the prohibition of affiliation, mechanisms have been put in place through the Defence Forces conciliation and arbitration scheme to provide the representative association with structures and processes to enable representations and negotiations to take place on behalf of its members. I met PDFORRA shortly after my appointment and I will meet its representatives again next...

Priority Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: The outcome of the vote of 23 June 2016 in the UK will have implications across all aspects of the business of the European Union. While the vote does not give rise to fundamental strategic issues for Defence Forces operations or for Ireland’s continuing engagement within the EU in the Common Security and Defence Policy, CSDP, it is expected that Brexit will have an impact on future...

Priority Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy will be aware that the Department of the Taoiseach has established a specific departmental committee to deal with Brexit. If the Defence Forces are to be involved in a hard border, that would be a matter of aid to the civil power and it would be a matter for An Garda Síochána to seek assistance from Army personnel or the Defence Forces in that regard. The Deputy might...

Priority Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I assure the Deputy that I have had plenty of meetings on Brexit and the outcome of the vote. However, it is way too early to determine exactly the extent, if any, of the role of the Defence Forces. If I were to tell the Deputy today that we are to take on another 3,000 soldiers, I assure her that she would go out the door straightaway to say we are preparing for a hard border. This is...

Priority Questions: UK Referendum on EU Membership (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I assure the Deputy that this is a priority for me and my Department. We will be on top of this issue to ensure we do whatever is required. However, I will not jump to any conclusions regarding what will be required in regard to the Defence Forces.

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 45 together. A contingent of the Permanent Defence Force has been deployed to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, on the Golan Heights since 2013. The next Irish contingent, the 54th infantry group, comprising 130 personnel, is due to be deployed in the coming weeks and will replace personnel of the 52nd infantry group. Irish...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I assure the Deputy that the continued presence of UNDOF in the area remains essential. The UN Secretary General has reported to the Security Council that both Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic have stated their continued commitment to the disengagement of forces agreement and to support the presence of UNDOF in calling for a return to vacated positions in the area of separation. The UN...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: When Ireland or the Government sends any members of the Irish Defence Forces on any mission, the decision is not taken lightly. I do not accept the Deputy's views on this, although I agree with her absolutely that we should be very proud of the work of the Defence Forces. The Irish peacekeepers currently in the region will be replaced next week. They are doing a great job holding the peace...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: The mandate and role of UNDOF are pursued under the supervised implementation of the disengagement agreement in maintaining an area of separation of over 75 km between Israeli and Syrian forces. I have spoken on numerous occasions to quite a number of Irish personnel serving on the Golan Heights. They have told me at first hand about the important work they are carrying out on a daily basis...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: A decision by the Government to send troops overseas is not taken lightly. As I stated, the deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Kieran Brennan, has just returned from the Golan Heights and I will receive a full briefing from him later this week. No absolute guarantees can be given about the safety of troops travelling abroad on any mission. I refer to the work of the Defence Forces in their role as...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I am aware of newspaper reports that a former senior UK military officer has apologised to British troops who were given the anti-malarial drug Lariam. The choice of malaria drugs in use by other armed forces is an internal matter for those forces. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the policy and practices of other states in this regard or to engage in discussion on the merit...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (27 Sep 2016)

Paul Kehoe: While it is hoped the risk of developing an adverse reaction to a medication will diminish with time, there is no guarantee that this will happen. One could certainly develop an adverse reaction to penicillin for no obvious reasons, having taken it for years. Where the medical officer forms the opinion that an individual has developed a sensitivity to Lariam while overseas, the individual...